ROEBUCK – The Fort Mill wrestling team got off to a good start and never took their foot off the gas as they bulldozed their way to the 5A Upper State championship match with a win over the fourth ranked Dorman Cavaliers.
Third ranked Fort Mill beat Dorman 37-27 Monday on the road and now will host top ranked Chapin Wednesday, Feb. 8 at home for the Upper State championship. The Jackets improved to 25-1 on the season with the win.
The matches that Fort Mill did lose against Dorman, they did so without getting pinned for the most part. Fort Mill only lost one match against Doman by pinfall. The others either came by forfeit or decision.
“That was critical,” said Fort Mill head coach Chris Brock. “There were a couple matches that whoever won those matches, they were going to be in the driver’s seat and we won all three of them. We can beat good teams like that. I am very pleased to get out of here with a win.”
Fort Mill opened the match at 220-pounds with Henry Debbout getting a first period pin to put the Jackets up at 6-0. Dorman came back to get a 7-2 decision at heavyweight, but Fort Mill would win the next two to take a 13-3 lead with Lincoln Greene (106) getting a 7-4 decision and Jacob Nally (113) getting a 16-4 major decision.
The Jackets dropped another 7-2 decision, before again getting two back-to-back wins this time by pin as Aidan Eubanks (126) won with a first period pin and Logan Shope (132) won with a third period pin to put Fort Mill up 25-6.
Dorman got another close decision with a 9-8 win, but Fort Mill bounced right back to pick up a second period pin from Noah Kitchton (145) to extend their lead to 31-9. Dorman won at 152-pounds by pin to make it 31-15, but that was the closest they would get.
Cade Simpson won a 7-5 decision at 160-pounds, which proved to be crucial giving Fort Mill just enough of a lead at 34-15 to be able to be flexible with their line-up. Fort Mill purposely forfeited at 170-pounds and then TJ Miller (182) won an 8-2 decision to make it 37-21 in the next to the last match before Dorman got a purposely forfeit win at 195-pounds.
Chapin rallied to beat TL Hanna in the other Upper State third round match winning 36-32. Chapin comes to Fort Mill Wednesday with a 29-5 record.
In the third round of the 4A Upper State playoffs, the Westside Rams beat Catawba Ridge 50-22 ending their season.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
